CRF (chronic renal failure) is one of the most common causes of death in older cats. Often the clinical signs are not specific in the early stage and so the diagnosis is made in a late stage of the disease. Are their any laboratory changes that allow the veterinarian to predict that the animal is likely to die within the next month? An interesting study from Japan.

This study was performed to retrospectively compare the data taken at the first visit of 34 cats with chronic renal failure surviving more than one month (surviving group) and 16 cats dying within one month (non-surviving group).

Records were collected on cats with chronic renal failure presented to a private veterinary practice in Nagoya, Japan, from March 1996 to March 2005.

All cats with chronic renal failure diagnosed on the basis of case histories, clinical signs (such as, lethargy, anorexia, loss of bodyweight and vomiting) and a high plasma creatinine (>180 Ã¬mol/l) were included in the study.

In the surviving group, survival statuses were recorded, and laboratory data was obtained within one month before death in 13 cats.

In the 13 cats, plasma creatinine, packed cell volume and urine protein/creatinine ratio showed significant differences between the data taken within one month before death and that taken at first visit, and only urine protein/creatinine ratio exhibited a consistent alteration (increase) in relation to first visit data.

These results indicated that plasma creatinine, urea nitrogen, inorganic phosphate, packed cell volume and urine protein/creatinine ratio were associated with death within one month and urine protein/creatinine ratio was most likely to be associated with mortality in cats with chronic renal failure.